The Mbaduku Tiev people of Vandeikya Local Government Area (LGA), Benue State, Nigeria, select a President General (PG) to lead community development initiatives for a two-year term. The PG may serve a second two-year term based on satisfactory performance.
Following the selection, the incoming PG is honored with a grand coronation ceremony marking the responsibility of leading an estimated 300,000 Mbaduku people at home and in the diaspora.
The coronation reflects an old Tiv tradition known as Miir Amaa, a ceremonial dance procession marking a leadership transition. A central feature is the celebrant riding a horse as a symbol of investiture and leadership of the Mbaduku Tiev people.
Other highlights include traditional attire and dances, local dishes such as pounded yam with beef or goat meat, sesame stew, locust bean soup, okra soup, rice and beans, as well as contributions toward community development programs.
The coronation of Dr. Fanen Maikur Ade Agera Akweshi as President General of the Mbaduku Tiev Development Association (MDA) took place on December 30, 2022, in Dagba City, Mbaduku Tiev, Vandeikya LGA, Benue State, Nigeria.
See all 5 photos in the Photo Gallery
Who is Dr. Fanen Ade?
Dr. Fanen Ade is a child of the late Rev. Pastor Emmanuel Maikur Ade Agera Akweshi, an NKST church clergyman. Dr. Fanen attended Government Secondary School, Tsar; M.W. Bristow Secondary School, Gboko; and Mbaduku Community Secondary School, Tsar.
Dr. Fanen earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria, and a PhD in Social Policy and International Development Studies in Oxford.
Dr. Fanen works with the World Bank country offices in Nigeria and Sierra Leone as a Senior Social Protection Specialist, with expertise in designing safety-net interventions and Community-Driven Development (CDD). This experience has informed the Shange la Mwem philosophy applied to community development at home with the tall vision to make Mbaduku community in a Dubai-like prosperity popularly known as Mbaduku Dubai.
Before joining the World Bank, Dr. Fanen worked with the United Nations and other international organizations, beginning in 2005. Dr. Fanen is married to Rahel Yishak Fanen and has three children.